AgroPlus Farming Magazine

29/10/2024

How to design a pig farm!

Every new pig farmer always ask,"which is the best design?". Well,there is no universal design that is applicable everywhere. What exists is a set of standards to use while designing.

*Are you in the business of pregant gilts and/or sows, dealing in piglets pekee or fattening pigs and baconers?
-Pigs at different ages require different spaces, environment and housing. For instance, pregnant pigs/sows need to be housed alone to avoid any fight or rougher physical contact that might disturb the pregnancy. Meaning,utajengea kila mother her own cubicle. Otherwise,some sows/gilts are so good that they can be grouped zikiwa pregant. While this is great, it's not usually the norm.
-piglets on the other hand can be housed as many as the house fits so you need a wide room. However,hawa hutaka feeder fupi,drinkers ziko lower kiasi na floor iko dry for more hours juu bado they are susceptible to cold-related ailments and diseases.
-Baconers nao hutaka space kubwa kabisa,juu you might be housing at least 10 pigs(for economical reasons) at a go.
Now if you were to do any of those three, nyumba zote tatu haziwezi fanana.

Due to demand, we'll be doing a series of posts on designing a pig house.Our posts are based on both experience and builders and research as technicians.

Disclaimer: Pig farming is extremely fun-filled and profitable. Addiction will lead to a happy wealthy life.

27/10/2024

Large White vs. Landrace: Which Should You Choose for Your Pig Farm? 🐷

Choosing the right pig breed can significantly impact your farm’s profitability, especially when you're just starting out. Two of the most popular breeds are the Large White and Landrace. While both are known for their impressive traits, understanding their key differences can help you make the best decision for your farm.

Large White (Yorkshire):
- Growth Rate: Large White pigs are renowned for their fast growth and ability to reach market weight efficiently. They’re known for high feed conversion rates, meaning they turn feed into body mass quickly.
- Meat Quality: Large Whites produce lean meat with minimal fat, making them popular in markets where lean pork is in demand.
- Hardiness: They’re extremely adaptable to various climates, thriving in both hot and cooler environments.
- Breeding: Large Whites are excellent mothers with large litters, which makes them a good choice for increasing pig populations.

Landrace:
- Growth Rate: Landrace pigs also grow quickly and have long, lean bodies that maximize meat production. They often grow slightly faster than Large Whites, especially when crossbred with other breeds.
- Meat Quality: Known for producing high-quality meat, particularly lean cuts, Landraces are often crossbred to improve meat yield.
- Breeding: Landrace sows are exceptional mothers, often producing large litters and providing excellent milk supply to piglets. This makes them valuable for breeding programs.
- Suitability: Landraces are well-suited for intensive farming systems but require careful management to ensure they stay healthy.

Which Should You Choose?

Rapid Growth: Both breeds are fast growers, but Landraces have a slight edge when crossbred.
Meat Quality: Large White is great for lean pork; Landrace also delivers excellent meat.
Breeding: Both excel at mothering, but Landraces may offer larger litters.

Choosing between Large White and Landrace depends on your farm's go

27/10/2024

How to Start Pig Farming by Agribusiness Media

Starting pig farming can be a rewarding venture if done correctly. Here are key considerations and steps to guide you through the process.

1. Capital
Investment Requirements:
Construction: Allocate funds for building pigsties.
Equipment and Stock: Purchase necessary equipment and quality breeding stock.
Working Capital: Cover costs for feed, drugs, and labor for at least the first year. Be prepared for higher initial expenses, with income starting after about 11 months.

2. Knowledge
Training and Expertise:
Acquire training in pig husbandry to avoid costly mistakes. Understanding pig production management is crucial.

3. Breeding Stock
Quality over Cost:
Invest in high-quality breeding stock to ensure efficient feed utilization and space management. Inferior stock may be cheaper initially but will cost more in the long run.

4. Market
Identifying Market:
Identify your market before starting production. Ensure the offered price covers your costs and consider transportation expenses if the market is far.

5. Water
Adequate Supply:
Ensure a reliable water source. Water needs vary with weather, and lactating sows require more. Budget for about 150 liters of water per sow per day.

6. Housing
Proper Design:
Construct pigsties for ease of management and monitoring. Poor designs can lead to issues such as feed wastage and poor pig performance.

7. Feed Availability
Consistent Supply:
Secure a steady supply of feed, which constitutes about 80% of production costs. Budget approximately 3.4 tonnes of maize per sow per year.

8. Siting the Piggery
Location Considerations:
Build pigsties in the direction of prevailing winds and on non-swampy land. Ensure easy access for deliveries and market transportation. Avoid contamination of water sources with effluent.

9. Space Requirements
Adequate Space:
Avoid overcrowding to prevent disease spread and ensure proper growth. Follow guidelines for space requirements based on the pig class.

10. Pig Breeds
Choosing the Right Breed:
Select breeds that suit your environmental conditions and production goals. Common breeds include Large White, Landrace, Duroc, Hampshire.

11. Management of Breeding Stock
Efficient Management:
Keep sows productive through proper management during pregnancy and lactation. Avoid extended unproductive periods and ensure timely detection and servicing of heat.

12. Housing Construction
Design and Materials:
Use durable materials for constructing pigsties. Ensure proper ventilation, easy cleaning, and adequate drainage. Install feeding and water troughs in appropriate locations.

13. Breeding Stock Selection
Performance Testing:
Select breeding stock based on performance testing, considering traits like growth rate, body shape, leg strength, and teat functionality.

14. Feeding and Care
Balanced Diet:
Provide a balanced diet and avoid overfeeding to maintain fit breeding stock. Ensure young gilts and boars are properly introduced and managed within the herd.

Ready to Start Your Pig Farming Business?
Starting pig farming requires careful planning and management. By following these guidelines, you can set a solid foundation for a successful pig farming venture.

www.japurfarmsolutions.co.ke

31/03/2023

22/08/2022

17/08/2022

Great ideas for September planting list

30/01/2022

MAGGOT FARMING: A PROFITABLE VENTURE

STEP 1
👉Get any plastic open container. Size should be according to quantity of maggots you want to make.

STEP 2
👉Get any substrate that are non smelly like Rice bran, wheat offal, maize shaft, etc. These materials serves as bedding and substrate for the flies to lay their egg

STEP 3
👉Mix some quantity of water with sugar or molasses allow the mixture to stay for 24 hours covering it in a cool dry place.

STEP 4
👉Mix this water mixture with any substrate you have chosen till it forms a mesh don't water log the substrate...And leave the plastic containing the substrate in an isolated place so no much disturbance

STEP 5
👉After 3 days you will notice lots of flies around the plastic containing the substrate, but before then make sure daily you wet the mixture by sprinkling water to make the content to remain in a mesh form

👉Note once the content is dry.. Flies will only eat from the substrate and not lay eggs. This will cause the system to produce very little or no maggots.

STEP 6
👉After 5 days you will notice lots of white clutches of materials at different part inside the mesh mixture this are flies eggs at beginning of day 6. Close up the open part of the plastic with a mosquito net so that nothing goes in or out of the system, while sprinkling of water daily is important

STEP 7
👉Remember that the plastic should be kept in a cool place some level of shade like under a plantain or banana trees or any trees that form some level of SHADE, to avoid direct sunlight heating up the system, which could mess it up.

Step 8
👉Harvesting can start from day 7 till day 12 depending on the size of fish or animal you want to feed them with you can harvest by getting salt in warm water in a bucket; usually maggot will stay under the layers of the substrate so use a Parker to get out the first layer.

👉Then get the maggots with the substrate and pour them in a different container, containing warm water and salt

👉NB
From day 6, you will start to notice lots of maggot formation though small in nature
To make them big, you can sprinkle bakers yeast ,it grows them faster

STEP 9
👉Maggots will float up and the substrate will sink down you can use a sieve to separate the maggots from the water

Step 10
👉Maggots can be fed live to animals like fish, poultry etc Or they can be sun dried , grounded and mix with your feed formula replacing costly soya thereby reducing cost of your feed and still having high profit margins

05/11/2020

Why many trees die every year in Zambia and Africa at large.

Many trees are planted every year and almost all of them die. If they don’t die, they will stay for years without yield mostly due to negligence. Then we plant again and wonder why we fail.

Here are my thoughts on why plants die every here despite planting. This doesn’t mean that all trees die but you can agree with me that many trees die, if they were not dying we couldn’t have been importing fruits, upto date zambia still imports bananas, oranges, lemons and many other fruits this is very unfortunate.

The very reason we export copper at a cheap price then buy what is made from copper at a very high price is the very reason we let out trees die.

We don’t see the real value of what we let go of so easily I think the problem is more mental than resources.

We would rather buy a 10kg of oranges at 150.00 without a single complaint than buy an orange tree at K80.00 then harvest more healthier and fresh.

I think it’s time we press real value on one tree. If we see trees as gold we won’t let them die just like that, we will do the best we can to save them. If we really value trees and see that most of the drinks and juices are made from fruits we would know how to press our priorities.

For example in most cases when purchasing a plant we don’t realy see the value of planting it that’s why we complain and not even care for it as it deserves.

For example one mango tree costing k100 can be be giving you more money than k100 per year, if you know the real value. You can sell the mango fruit, plant the seeds, you can dry the mangoes, make mango juice and sell.

If you buy a herb at 30, it’s worth More-than that K30.00 you can dry the herb and use it at home instead of buying, it’s aroma prevents you from going to the hospital, you can sell fresh and dry at the same time multiply and sell plants to to others.

The poverty of Africa is mental and we should see the true value of what we have and what we can do with the materials we have.

farming made easy

05/11/2020

Aloe Vera as a pesticide and fertilizer.

Real things are so simple, but give them a try you will be shocked how they work.

Did you thought that aloe Vera could be used as a fertilizer. God has helped to the point that I can identify pesticides and fertilizers just by looking.

Aloe Vera contains a lot of minerals and trace elements to boost your plants.

This is what is inside aloe for your plants plant calcium, chromium, copper, selenium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, and zinc.

Anything that is good for mankind is good for plants. And thing that is bad for plants is bad for humans.

The bittersness of aloe Vera is very offensive to pests it deceives the pest, because before a pest attacks it puts the tongue and saliva.

How to prepare.

Just prepare your aloe Vera by cutting it into smaller pieces then, soak it overnight you can spray or just water directly.

A Handfull is enough in a 50lilters

Give it a try and you will tell me, more is coming.

Invite or tag some to follow this page if what I share makes sense.

farmer made easy

02/11/2020

Money is easy to make in farming.

Many may disagree, but as for me this is a reality and am slowly living beyond my dreams. You see what ever the mind can conceive it can achieve that is good or bad success or failure in you entertain those positive or negative thoughts they soon become reality.

We should come to the point we really realize the power of imagination and visualizing our dreams then commence to work with zeal, determination, integrity and due diligence to achieve and conquer all obstacles we meet on the way. All things are possible to the one who believes. You see if you don’t believe in yourself who do you think will believe you???

Here is a quick example the papaya you see in the picture dwaf graham sweet only takes 7 months to to start fruiting, but you should give it the care it deserves to do that meaning you have to select the best site with good drainage not water lodged place, dig a 60cmx60cm hole square not round, this promotes good root development and stability. Then mix the soil with at-least 4 shovels of animal manure not chicken, because chicken manure is high in nitrogen so it will just grow fast without fruiting. But animal manure is good and balanced it contains all the needed nutrients, and goat or sheep is the best.

After planting make sure you mulch the plant to prevent the escape of moisture, weeds, escaped of nutrients and promote the presence of living organisms which supply nutrients and improve soil fertility. Mulching also cools the plants when it’s hot and warms the plant when it’s cold.

Once you have planted ensure that you come up with a watering program so that your plant grows and fruits all year round papaya is a perennial fruit tree meaning it fruits all year round if you give it water all year round.

With the coming of the rains it will be a good start, as the rains does a good job for you you can be preparing yourself to for the irrigation system to pick up where the rains will stop.

One Papaya can give you up-to 100 fruits per year that is if you are selling at K10 per plant you will be getting K1,000.00 per plant. If you have 20 plants you will be getting K20,000.00.

Papayas are very easier to manage and very drought tolerant.